Lemon Tree Questions

Hi Everyone,

I bought a pair of lemon trees from the garden center. They're about 50-60CM tall and in relatively small pots (soil is pretty compacted and dense with roots).

I live in central Belgium, which has a pretty similar climate to the south-west UK and I was planning to overwinter them in my office, which usually has a sunny south facing window (though its been more or less constant cloud and rain since I bought them), then to put them outside on the patio from May to October.

A few weeks back, I noticed that the leaves had curled quite a bit. I think that this was my fault for not watering them enough (weekly, but the pots are small compared to the trees). Since then, they have been steadily dropping. I think its slowed down now, but this could be my imagination. I'm watering more and no more leaf-curl.

They're also coming into bloom now (see below). I had planned to pot them up in spring and then fertilise them, but now I think maybe I should do it right now? What do you think?

I also added a few small grow-lights as I thought it might just be too dark for them (these probably need to be scaled up though).

All advice welcome!

BRS,

- Danny

 

I think they are doing OK, personally I wouldn't repot until about April then give them a couple of weeks before they go outside.
I doubt the roots are growing at this time of the year so potting on would have little effect right now.
You can give them a feed when watering, which should help them tick over until the repot.

You're doing the right thing in giving them more light, it's a sad old time of the year now with very poor light levels.

 

Hello Danny, it's going to be a challenge to keep them healthy indoors. Citrus prefer cool, light conditions in winter, and tend to suffer in relatively dark, heated rooms. First of all, have a close look at the leaves and stems to check for brown scale insects, cottony scale insects and mealy bugs. If you find any convex bumps or whiteish 'cotton wool' on stems or underside of leaves, wipe them off with a soapy cloth or cloth/ alcool à brûler. As they're still moveable, best to put them outside in a sheltered spot and just bring them indoors when frost is forecast. Or wrap them in several layers of horticultural fleece and the pots in bubble wrap or hessian. Ready-made bags are also available for quick protection.
They won't need so much water when they're cool.

 

The leaves seem very clean and I don't see any evidence of disease or insects.

I just received my greenhouse today, so that will be an option after I build it over the Xmas break. In the mean-time the heating will stay off and I'll add more grow-lights.

 

That is good news! It's much easier to tackle them before an infestation takes hold, which it can easily do in the warm . Bonnes fêtes!